With a focus on strengthening partnerships with its local and regional communities, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum has founded a Friend’s Board. The twenty-plus member board will meet six times a year to help guide the museum in its endeavors, to strengthen and develop new partnerships, and to help the museum be a real resource to diverse audiences. CBMM’s new Friend’s Board met for the first time on April 20, 2015.
Those currently serving on the board include Martha Austin, Kathy Bosin, Marc Castelli, Mike Cottingham, Lloyd Devigne, Peggy Ford, Robbie Gill, Lauren Greer, Jay Hudson, Sherri Marsh Johns, Bill Lane, Mary Lou McAllister, Libby Moose, Trish Payne, Matthew Peters, Sparrow Rogers, Spence Stoval, Cassandra Vanhooser, Jaime Windon, and Brenda Wooden.
The new Friend’s Board is an initiative of CBMM President Kristen Greenaway, who began her tenure at CBMM in July, 2014. In addition to the new board, Greenaway’s first-year initiatives have included launching a 50th anniversary celebration, two new exhibitions, strengthened community relations, and numerous improvement and restoration projects of the museum’s campus, historical boats, and structures.
“I was thrilled with the response from the members who attended the first meeting, and who have pledged their support in helping the museum expand its reach,” said CBMM President Kristen Greenaway. “And we’re thrilled that a rotating representative from the Friend’s Board will attend each meeting of the Board of Governors to give an update on activities.
“A member of the board wrote to me the day after we first met: ‘I just wanted to thank you again for the opportunity to be a part of something very special. I think we have a very diverse group which will lend itself to be able to be as creative and helpful to not only the community but also the museum. I look forward to seeing this group do wonderful things.’”
Greenaway said the museum wants to better support Eastern Shore organizations that are focused on improving the well-being of our citizens. In reflection of this, CBMM now has partnerships in place with several local organizations, including the St. Michaels Community Center, Miles River Yacht Club Foundation, Phillips Wharf Environmental Center, Pickering Creek Audubon Center, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences at Horn Point, Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center, YMCA of the Chesapeake, Academy Art Museum, Benedictine School, and more.
“I feel very strongly that we have a responsibility to not only preserve and explore the history, environment and people of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Greenaway, “but to work to ensure that all citizens believe the museum to be relevant to them, and a safe place where they can reflect on their own heritage in dialogue with that of the Bay.”
In 2015, CBMM is celebrating its 50th anniversary, with a mission to preserve and explore the history, environment, and people of the Chesapeake Bay through educational, exhibition, and boat restoration programs. The museum’s campus includes a floating fleet of historic boats and 12 exhibition buildings, situated on 18 water front acres along the Miles River and St. Michaels’ harbor. For more information, visit www.cbmm.org.
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